An Intersectional Approach to DIF: Comparing Outcomes across Methods

ABSTRACT Recent research provides evidence that an intersectional approach to defining reference and focal groups results in a higher percentage of comparisons flagged for potential DIF. The study presented here examined the generalizability of this pattern across methods for examining DIF. While the level of DIF detection differed among the four methods examined, the pattern in which the intersectional approach yielded a substantially larger percentage of flagged comparisons compared to the traditional approach was consistent across three of the four methods. The study explores implications that an intersectional approach to examining differential item functioning has for use by large-scale test development programs and identifies further research needed to support the adoption of an intersectional approach to DIF analyses.